Flu and cold: differences and advice on how to prevent and treat these seasonal ailments

Reading time: 6 minWith the arrival of autumn and the change of seasons, our bodies face a series of changes that can negatively impact our health.

The reasons are mainly:

• The decrease in daylight hours
• Returning to work and/or school life
• The drop in temperatures

We want to focus in particular on the last point: the first cold spells represent one of the triggering factors for the main seasonal diseases: INFLUENCE And COLDCold and flu symptoms can be similar, but they are actually two diseases caused by very different viruses.

The flu

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by influenza virusesIt is a highly contagious seasonal disease that occurs during the winter. Four types of influenza viruses have been identified, all belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family:

• Types A and B: responsible for classic flu symptoms
• Type C: generally asymptomatic
• Type DIt is not yet clear whether it is capable of infecting humans.

Influenza viruses TO They are further divided into subtypes based on molecular differences at the level of surface antigens, the glycoproteins HA And NAIt is precisely at the level of surface antigens that the main mutations occur each season, allowing the virus to escape the host's immune system and thus find a susceptible population in which to spread in an epidemic or pandemic manner.

Symptoms generally include:

• Fever and chills
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Nasal congestion
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Weakness and tiredness

Influenza is generally highly contagious and is spread through coughing, sneezing, or simply through physical contact, such as shaking hands or touching contaminated objects. The most common complications of influenza are upper and lower respiratory tract infections, with the potential for serious complications, especially in certain populations such as children, the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and those with comorbidities or chronic diseases.

The cold

The common cold is caused by a virus, the most common being the Rhinovirus, about 110 serotypes are known and are responsible for the most common colds contracted in spring and autumn. It can often be caused by another family of viruses, the Coronavirus, which more frequently cause infections in the colder months. It is an acute viral infection, often without fever, that affects the upper respiratory tract. The common cold is generally a mild illness, with symptoms appearing 2-3 days after infection and gradually disappearing within about a week. The symptoms are not caused by the virus itself, but by the immune response our body triggers following the infection. When a nasal cell is infected by a cold virus, our body responds by activating the immune system.Many inflammatory mediators are released, particularly interleukins and prostaglandins, which have a protective effect against the infectious agent during the acute phase. Once activated by the infection, inflammatory mediators cause blood vessel dilation (with fluid leakage) and increased mucus secretion.

Symptoms include:

• Itching and discharge from the nose
• Sinusitis
• Frequent sneezing
• Sore throat
• Chesty cough
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty breathing

If a common cold is left untreated or poorly treated, due to the weakening of our immune system caused by the virus, some bacteria may be able to colonize the throat or ears, sinuses, or lower airways. In these cases, serious illnesses such as throat infections, ear infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia can develop.

Prevention

Flu and colds are extremely contagious viral infections: they spread extremely rapidly in crowded environments, such as schools, kindergartens, or workplaces, where people are in close contact with each other.

How can we effectively prevent these seasonal ailments?

1. Flu vaccine: especially indicated for elderly or more fragile subjects, to be repeated every year.
2. Hygiene rules:
   •  wash your hands often and use a disinfectant gel
   • cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
   • do not share glasses and cutlery
   • use disposable paper tissues
   • avoid touching your nose and mouth often
   • air closed spaces often
3. Correct nutrition: A healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity, can make our bodies more resistant and our immune systems stronger.
4. Proper integration with supplements and/or nutraceuticals which can promote good functioning of the immune system

Remedies to prevent and treat respiratory system diseases

Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid, it is a water-soluble vitamin present in significant quantities in peppers, cabbage, citrus fruits, tomatoes and in general in fresh fruits and vegetables. It has notable antioxidant properties. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system and plays a fundamental role in neutralizing free radicals.

Echinacea

Rich in antioxidant polyphenols, glycoproteins and polysaccharides with immunostimulant properties, echinacea boasts an important immune system strengthening activity, as well as antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity. (1,2)

Acetylcysteine

Used to treat various respiratory tract symptoms as a mucolytic, it is therefore useful for severe colds, bronchitis and pneumonia.

It boasts a powerful antioxidant effect as it is the precursor of the cellular antioxidant par excellence: glutathione. (3,4)

Quercetin

It is a flavonoid present in many varieties of fruit and in the plant world in general, it boasts an important antioxidant effect as such but is also able to promote the synthesis of many other antioxidant molecules such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and heme oxygenase. It also has powerful anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory and antiviral properties. (5,6)

Arginine

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid found in numerous foods, especially animal-based foods. It is involved in the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that regulates blood flow, cellular communication, and mitochondrial function. It acts as a precursor to other amino acids, such as creatine and glutamate, but most importantly, it is involved in the development of T lymphocytes, white blood cells that play an important role in the immune response.

Glutamine

Together with arginine, it is the starting substrate for the synthesis of macrophages and lymphocytes, white blood cells essential for the immune system.

Zinc

Zinc is a trace element that is a component of many enzyme complexes involved in the metabolism of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. It is also necessary for the function of several hormones, including thyroid hormones, insulin, sex hormones, and growth hormone.

Zinc is a powerful antioxidant and its ability to counteract oxidative stress, responsible for premature cellular aging, helps protect the health of the body and optimize the defensive action of the immune system.

Selenium

Selenium is a microelement that promotes the proper functioning of intracellular antioxidants. The richest food sources of selenium are offal and fish products (crustaceans, molluscs, sea fish), followed by meat. According to studies, selenium supplementation is immunostimulant as it promotes greater proliferation of T cells, the activity of NK cells and the cellular functions of the innate immune system. (7)

Probiotics and Prebiotics

The immune system's function is closely linked to that of the gut and the microbiota that populates it. Unfortunately, the microbial population in our gut often suffers during seasonal changes or during drug therapies, especially antibiotics. For this reason, it can be helpful to take probiotics combined with prebiotics, which can select certain strains of beneficial microorganisms and increase their abundance. This will optimize the gut microbiota both quantitatively and qualitatively, thus supporting the immune response.

These precious components are contained in the products formulated by Nutrifarma:

• Immunac: with zinc and echinacea which contribute to a good functioning of the immune system.
• EUVIR immuno ricarica  and Euvir gola spray: Food supplement based on vitamins C, B6, B12, folic acid, zinc and selenium which contribute to the normal function of the immune system, pantothenic acid, niacin, vitamins B2 and B9 which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Ecoflor plus: Food supplement based on water-soluble vitamins, with 15 billion live lactic ferments and 2 billion S. boulardii per vial, useful for supporting the balance of intestinal bacterial flora.

Bibliographic sources:

1. Echinacea plants as antioxidant and antibacterial agents: From traditional medicine to biotechnological applications Sharifi-Rad M, Mnayer D, Morais-Braga MFB, Carneiro JNP, Bezerra CF, Coutinho HDM, Salehi B, Martorell M, Del Mar Contreras M, Soltani-Nejad A, Uribe YAH, Yousaf Z, Iriti M, Sharifi-Rad J.Phytother Res. 2018 Sep;32(9):1653-1663.
2. Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis.Shah SA, Sander S, White CM, Rinaldi M, Coleman CI.Lancet Infect Dis. 2007 Jul;7(7):473-80.
3. The Multifaceted Therapeutic Role of N–Acetylcysteine (NAC) in Disorders Characterized by Oxidative Stress. Raghu G, Berk M, Campochiaro PA, Jaeschke H, Marenzi G, Richeldi L, Wen FQ, Nicoletti F, Calverley PMA.Curr Neuropharmacol. 2021;19(8):1202-1224.
4. Existing and potential therapeutic uses for N-acetylcysteine: the need for conversion to intracellular glutathione for antioxidant benefits Rushworth GF, Megson IL.Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Feb;141(2):150-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2013.09.006.
5. Quercetin and its derivatives as antiviral potentials: A comprehensive review. Di Petrillo A, Orrù G, Fais A, Fantini MC.Phytother Res. 2022 Jan;36(1):266-278.
6. Quercetin as a Natural Therapeutic Candidate for the Treatment of Influenza Virus.Mehrbod P, Hudy D, Shyntum D, Markowski J, Łos MJ, Ghavami S.Biomolecules. 2020 Dec 24;11(1):10.
7. Selenium, Selenoproteins, and Immunity. Avery JC, Hoffmann PR.Nutrients. 2018 Sep 1;10(9):1203. doi: 10.3390/nu10091203.PMID: 30200430